This morning, I got up early and left the house in search of a taxi that would take me into town in time to get the bus to Halong Bay. I joined a tour for three days that takes you from Hanoi to Halong, and I have to admit, it was nice to have everything organised by someone else for a change! I was the last one on the bus and was greeted by like 15 grinning Vietnamese faces. Slight panic that I would have no one to talk to for three days, I scanned the whole bu...

I was planning to go see the Ho Chi Minh mausoleum today, where his body is kept, but it was closed. So I saw the palace and the museum instead. I heard quite an impressive list of rules about visiting the body, such as you are not allowed bags, no shorts, you can't speak, you have to follow the line of tourists, no cameras or photos, and no putting hands inside your pockets. Then we are shepherded around by guards watching our every move... seems like this guy...

I flew out from Hong Kong to Hanoi today, and was greeted at the airport by.... no one! The woman I am staying with told me she would send her driver to pick me up, but as I walked out and scanned for someone with a sign with my name on it and saw nothing. Then I realised my plane was early, and he was probably not here yet. Just as I was completing these thoughts in my hear that a little man shuffled up with LAURA BATTY written on a piece of paper, and he took m...